Congress Faces Internal Unrest Over Karnataka Cabinet Expansion

Supporters of Subbareddy argued that his seniority and electoral mandate warranted a cabinet seat, urging party leadership to revisit their decision. Local authorities responded by deploying heavy police security across the affected regions to mitigate potential unrest as commercial life ground to a halt.

The unrest in Chikkaballapur follows a broader pattern of discontent across the state. In a separate development, Gayathri Shanthegowda, initially slated for a ministerial role, saw her name abruptly removed from the final list. Despite the exclusion, she maintained a public stance of party loyalty, stating she would abide by the high command's directives. Her removal, alongside the omission of veteran leaders like HK Patil, RV Deshpande, and HC Mahadevappa, has intensified internal debates regarding the criteria used for portfolio allocation, specifically the tension between regional representation, seniority, and caste-based political calculations.